In The Kitchen –Naledi Toona

From her kitchen to yours, Chef Naledi Toona guides us through preparing a mouth-watering lamb dish By TUMELO MUSHI-SEBOPA Photographs ANNALIZE NEL

How did you become the Cooking With Lamb

ambassador? It was a typical case of being at the right place at the right time. I was working at a food festival in Monte Casino, Joburg, and had prepared a lamb curry. Lamb and Mutton SA was also there, and offered me the ambassadorship. I'm originally from Botswana, and after studying at the Nelson Mandela University, I started a catering business, and eight years later, completed a culinary qualification at HTA School of Culinary Art. What does your role as ambassador entail?

#IAmAmbassador is the official consumer education project for Lamb and Mutton SA. I do live cooking demos at different food shows and expos. This ties in perfectly with my passion for educating consumers, as I also conduct cooking classes for domestic workers, where I teach them very basic dishes. What cooking style do you swear by?

Homestyle cooking with a twist, and lots of flavour using ingredients that are readily available. What dish are you known for?

I like experimenting with lots of ingredients, but my signature dish is sweet and sour lamb chops, made with my own marinade. Which ingredients are always in your kitchen?

Garlic, ginger, onions, dried herbs, and lemon

What's your food motto? My personal brand motto is, “From My Kitchen To Yours”. I hope the recipes I share will someday make it to my clients' kitchens.